PERSONAL  PUSHY 


FOR 

YOUS3.MEN 


PUBLICATIONS 


GIFT  OF 


-E3 


Personal  Purity  Publications 


Personal  Information 


FOR  BOYS 

FOR  GIRLS 

FOR  YOUNG  MEN 

FOR  YOUNG  WOMEN 


Size,  4^  x  7#,  Cloth  Binding.      50c.  each 


PERSONAL    PURITY    PUBLICATIONS 


Personal  Information 


FOR 


Young  Men 

By  ERNEST  EDWARDS 


R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 

18  EAST  SEVENTEENTH  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


COPYRIGHT,  1909 

BY 
R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 


FOR  YOUNG  MEN 


PREFACE 

IF  it  be  true  that  one  of  the  crying  evils 
of  the  age  is  impurity,  surely  one  of  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  age  is  a  book  on  purity  and 
how  to  attain  it.  It  is  with  this  object  that 
this  little  work  is  issued.  There  are  in  ex- 
istence books  on  the  subject,  but  they  are 
high-priced,  and  so  an  endeavour  has  been 
made  to  present  the  salient  facts  of  repro- 
duction, and  the  dangers  accruing  from 
wrong,  foolish,  and  immoral  conduct,  in  a 
form  that  shall  be  simple  and  plain  to  the 
youth's  understanding,  and  at  a  price  that  he 
can  easily  afford  to  pay. 

Parents  need  not  be  nervous  about  present- 
ing this  book  to  their  sons,  or  allowing  them 
5 


6  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

to  read  it.  Matters  of  the  most  delicate  and 
sacred  nature  are,  it  is  true,  dealt  with  open- 
ly and  plainly,  but,  nevertheless,  with  a  re- 
finement of  language  that  cannot  possibly  of- 
fend the  most  fastidious. 

The  book  is  not  meant  for  free  and  open 
discussion  in  the  family  circle.  There  are 
certain  acts  of  everyday  life  that  we  perform 
when  alone,  but  they  are  absolutely  necessary 
to  health  and  happiness,  and  the  pages  that 
follow  should  be  read  in  the  quiet  of  the 
study  or  bedroom. 

It  does  not  contain  romance  as  romance  is 
generally  understood,  but  deals  with  facts  of 
nature;  yet  these  facts,  when  properly  and 
judiciously  studied,  form  a  romance  of  real 
life  that  no  story  book  can  equal. 

After  all,  why  should  a  young  man  not 
learn  all  there  is  to  know  about  himself? 
And  what  more  important  part  of  his  physi- 
cal organism  is  there  than  his  reproductive 
organs  ?  His  digestive  system  may  indeed 


PEEFACE  7 

come  first,  because  it  retains  the  life  in  the 
body,  but  surely  next  to  this  are  the  organs 
which  have  for  their  duty  the  reproduction 
of  his  kind. 

How  necessary,  then,  is  a  complete  and 
correct  knowledge  of  these  special  organs  to 
the  boy  who  is  growing  into  manhood,  and 
who  naturally  expects  some  time  or  other  to 
become  a  husband  and  father.  We  teach  him 
not  to  be  greedy  and  selfish,  not  to  over- 
load his  stomach,  not  to  drink  intoxicating 
liquors,  to  keep  his  feet  dry  and  his  chest 
warm,  and  then  we  leave  him  to  go  and  play 
ducks  and  drakes  with  his  sexual  nature, 
and  perhaps  ruin  his  entire  career  through 
lack  of  the  knowledge  that  would  have  saved 
him,  and  that  we  could  have  imparted,  and 
did  not. 

After  the  publication  of  this  book  there 
will  be  no  excuse  for  any  young  man  remain- 
ing in  ignorance  concerning  his  sexual  sys- 
tem. And  as  a  knowledge  of  good  and  evil 


8  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

is  the  first  step  towards  the  choice  of  the 
good — for  it  is  inconceivable  that  anyone 
really  understanding  the  meaning  of  these 
terms  should  deliberately  choose  the  evil — 
this  work  is  sent  forth  with  the  earnest  hope 
that  every  young  man  in  the  kingdom  will 
read  and  study  it  as  thoroughly  as  his  mental 
capacity  allows.  He  cannot  fail  to  profit 
thereby. 

One  other  thing  may  be  mentioned.  The 
book  is  not  "written  down"  to  the  intellect 
of  boys.  Those  of  sixteen  years  and  under 
will  find  all  they  want  in  the  first  of  these 
series,  entitled  "For  Boys.77  The  present 
work  is  for  young  men,  and  if  a  word  or  a 
phrase  here  and  there  is  not  properly  under- 
stood, let  us  hope  it  may  lead  to  the  more 
frequent  use  of  the  dictionary.  This  itself 
will  be  something  gained.  Finally,  men  no 
longer  young  may  read  these  pages  with  in- 
terest and  profit. 


FOR  YOUNG  MEN 


ABOUT  EGGS 


I  TAKE  it  for  granted  that  the  youth  into 
whose  hands  this  volume  is  placed  has  made 
himself  familiar  with  the  contents  of  the 
first  of  this  series  of  books,  viz.,  "For  Boys." 
There  he  was  told,  in  plain  and  simple  lan- 
guage, something  of  the  origins  of  things, 
including  the  beginning  of  plant  and  animal 
life. 

The  book  for  "young  boys"  left  off  at  the 
interesting  period  when  the  boy  begins  to 
feel  that  he  is  at  the  end  of  his  childhood 
days,  and  that  a  new  era  in  his  life  is  about 
to  begin. 

I  propose  in  this  work  to  take  up  the  story 
at  that  point,  and  to  show  the  young  man 


V 


10  FOR    YOU]\TG    MEX 

some  of  the  wonders  of  his  body  that  it  was 
not  necessary  or  expedient  for  him  to  know 
more  about  at  an  earlier  age. 

To  do  this  properly  we  must  again  go  back 
to  the  beginnings  of  things,  and  that  is  why 
this  chapter  is  headed  "About  Eggs." 

I  remember  a  good  many  years  ago  some- 
one asking  me  the  question,  "Which  came 
first,  the  hen  or  the  egg?" 

I  could  not  answer  the  question  then,  and 
I  could  not  now,  without  giving  a  long  dis- 
sertation upon  the  hen  and  her  ancestors. 
But  what  we  have  to  consider  in  this  book  is, 
"How  came  the  life  we  see  around  us  to  be  ? 
What  is  the  origin  of  the  hen  I  see  in  yonder 
fowl-house,  the  flower  in  my  garden,  the  lit- 
ter of  puppies  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  baby 
in  the  nursery  ?" 

Well,  the  origin  of  each  and  all  of  these 
was  an  egg.  We  may  take  this  as  a  funda- 
mental truth.  All  the  life  that  we  see  around 


ABOUT    EGGS  11 

us,  both  vegetable  and  animal,  began  in  each 
instance  as  an  egg. 

As  you  were  told  in  the  book  for  "young 
boys,"  every  plant  bearing  flowers,  fruit,  and 
seeds  has  a  special  place  prepared  by  nature, 
called  the  ovary — from  ovum,  which  means 
an  egg — where  the  seeds  are  deposited.  As 
the  flower  ripens  the  seeds  underneath  it  ma- 
ture, until  at  the  proper  time  the  pollen  dust 
from  the  stamen  above  it  falls  into  the  stigma 
and  passes  through  the  pistil  into  the  seed 
pod,  or  ovary,  to  the  seeds.  The  seeds,  thus 
fertilized,  become  capable  of  shooting  forth 
roots,  and  springing  up  into  fresh  plants. 

A  study  of  botany  should  be  part  of  every 
young  man's  curriculum.  It  is  one  of  those 
branches  of  learning  that  is  too  much  neg- 
lected, and  I  fear  that  in  most  cases  where 
a  rudimentary  knowledge  has  been  obtained, 
it  is  all  too  soon  forgotten  in  the  rush  and 
whirl  of  daily  life  and  the  pursuit  of  other 
things. 


12  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

And  yet  the  young  man  of  the  present  day 
might  do  worse  than  lay  clown  his  copy  of 
"Scrappy  Bits"  and  go  out  into  the  fields 
and  woods,  or  even  into  his  own  garden,  and, 
culling  some  of  the  flowers,  study  them  in- 
telligently and  earnestly,  with  a  view  to  get- 
ting from  them  some  of  the  secrets  of  life. 

One  of  the  things  he  would  notice,  were 
he  an  observant  youth,  would  be  that  the 
idea  of  "family"  is  maintained  even  among 
plants. 

Take  the  hawthorn  blossom  as  an  example. 
Here  you  see  the  petals  forming  the  home, 
the  father  represented  by  the  stamen,  the 
mother  by  the  pistil  and  ovary,  and  the  chil- 
dren by  the  seeds. 

Without  these  three  the  hawthorn  blossom 
is  not  complete,  but  when  they  are  all  there 
the  little  family  is  perfect. 

Now  let  us  take  a  closer  view  of  the  seeds 
themselves.  We  shall  find  them  well  worth 
examining.  Take  a  bean  and  cut  into  it 


ABOUT    EGGS  13 

with  a  knife.  What  do  you  see?  Simply 
a  white  substance,  that  is  all. 

But  if  you  look  at  it  very  closely  you  will 
see  that  it  is  not  all.  At  the  top  end  there 
is  a  little  projection,  and  if  you  cut  through 
it  you  will  find  that  it  comprises  a  tiny  white 
knot,  or  lump,  different  from  the  rest  of  the 
bean. 

If,  instead  of  cutting  the  bean  in  two,  you 
soak  it  in  water  for  a  few  days,  or  plant  it  in 
the  ground  and  water  it,  you  will  find  out 
what  this  white  spot  really  is,  and  what  it 
becomes.  A  stem  will  shoot  up  from  it  which 
will  open  into  two  broad  leaves,  and  then 
slowly  but  surely  the  new  bean  plant  will 
appear. 

This  white  spot  is,  in  brief,  the  germ  of 
life  in  the  seed,  and  it  is  from  this  tiny  germ, 
that  is  in  some  seeds  too  small  to  be  seen 
without  a  microscope,  that  the  future  plant 
or  tree  springs  into  being. 

You  will  probably  have  gathered  by  this 


14  FOE    YOUNG    MEN 

time  that  the  words  aseed"  and  "egg"  are 
synonymous  terms.  The  seed  is  the  egg 
from  which  the  future  tree  grows ;  the  egg  is 
the  seed  from  which  the  future  animal  comes. 
Animal  eggs  may  be  divided  into  two 
classes : — 

1.  Those  which  are   hatched  outside   the 
body  of  the  mother.     These  comprise  fishes, 
birds,  frogs,  insects,  and  some  others. 

2.  Those  which  ripen  and  mature  inside 
the  body  of  the  mother,  and  are  born  when 
developed.     These  comprise  quadrupeds  and 
human  beings. 

In  both  these  kinds  of  eggs  the  germ  of 
life  is  present,  just  as  it  is  in  the  seed,  and 
it  is  from  this  germ  that  the  future  bird, 
fish,  animal,  or  human  baby  comes. 

The  human  egg — or  ovum,  to  give  it  its 
technical  name — is  very  small,  scarcely  any 
bigger  than  a  needle's  point,  and  hardly  dis- 
cernible without  the  aid  of  a  good  magnify- 
ing glass. 


ABOUT    EGGS  15 

Yet,  small  as  it  is,  it  is  formed  on  the 
same  model  as  a  hen's  egg,  consisting  of  a 
germ,  a  yolk,  and  a  thin,  transparent  cover- 
ing. In  shape  it  is  round,  like  a  ball.  Two 
or  more  eggs  are  called  ova,  the  plural  of 
ovum,  and  it  would  take  one  hundred  and 
thirty  of  them — I  am  speaking  of  human 
eggs — lying  side  by  side  to  make  an  inch. 
From  such  a  tiny  speck  of  matter  man  is 
formed. 

It  is  important  to  know  that  the  human 
egg,  so  tiny  as  to  be  almost  invisible,  is  pro- 
tected by  nature  from  danger  in  the  best 
possible  way;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  taken  from 
the  place  where  it  was  formed  and  carried  to 
another  part  of  the  mother's  body — not  far, 
only,  as  it  were,  from  one  room  to  another — 
and  here,  where  practically  nothing  can 
reach  it,  or  do  it  harm,  it  is  nourished  and 
cared  for  until  it  is  ready  to  be  born. 


16  FOB    YOUNG    MEN 


THE  OVAKY,  ETC. 

You  will  now  probably  wish  to  know  some- 
thing about  the  place  where  the  eggs  are 
manufactured.  In  plants  this  is  called  the 
ovary,  in  animals  ovaria,  and  in  woman 
ovaries.  These  are  all  variations  of  the  same 
word,  the  root  of  which  is  ovum,  which  you 
remember  is  Latin  for  egg. 

Plant  seeds  are  found  in  a  pod.  The  pod 
is  really  the  ovary.  It  will  interest  you  to 
go  out  into  the  fields  and  examine  the  blos- 
soms you  see,  so  as  to  find  the  ovary  or  seed 
pod  in  them.  They  are  of  various  shapes, 
sizes,  and  colours,  some  being  long  and  green, 
like  the  pea  and  bean;  some  round,  and,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  rose,  scarlet  in  colour; 
while  others,  like  the  chestnut  and  beech, 
have  prickly  burrs  covering  the  seed. 


THE    OVABY  17 

With  regard  to  animals,  the  ovary  is  al- 
ways near  the  uterus.  This  is  the  proper 
name  for  the  bag-like  receptacle  into  which 
the  egg  is  conveyed  from  the  ovary  for  de- 
velopment. 

[It  may  be  here  remarked  that  those  mem- 
bers of  the  animal  kingdom — such  as  birds, 
fish,  etc. — whose  eggs  are  laid  as  soon  as  they 
are  ripe  and  hatched  outside  and  not  within 
the  body,  have  no  uterus,  because,  obviously, 
they  have  no  need  of  one.] 

In  the  case  of  the  rabbit  the  ovaries  are 
two  in  number,  one  on  the  left  side  and  one 
on  the  right.  There  is  also  a  left  uterus  and 
a  right  one,  and  each  ovary  is  connected  with 
the  uterus  nearest  to  it  by  a  pipe,  called  the 
fallopian  tube. 

Passing  on  to  the  human  mother,  we  find 
the  uterus,  or  womb,  in  what  anatomists  call 
the  inferior  portion  of  the  pelvis.  It  is,  when 
not  in  use,  very  small,  being  only  two  inches 
in  width,  three  inches  in  length,  and  one 


18  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

inch  in  thickness.  In  shape  it  is  like  a  pear, 
the  small  end,  which  is  open,  pointing  down- 
wards into  the  vagina.  This  is  a  tube  lead- 
ing from  the  uterus,  and  ending  in  the  open- 
ing of  the  body  at  the  base  of  the  abdomen. 

From  the  uterus  itself  extend  several  mi- 
nute cylindrical  openings,  both  right  and  left. 
These  are  called  oviducts,  or  fallopian  tubes. 
They  are  some  three  inches  long,  and  termi- 
nate in  fimbriated,  or  finger-like  extremities. 
The  ovaries  are  situated  just  over  these  tubes, 
right  and  left  of  the  uterus,  and  when  an 
egg  is  ripe  and  bursts  through  the  walls  of 
the  ovary,  the  fingers  of  the  tubes  grasp  it 
and  convey  it  into  the  oviduct  on  its  way  to 
the  uterus. 

The  size  of  the  ovum,  or  egg,  is  only  one 
and  one  hundred  and  twentieth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  so  that  the  fallopian  tubes  need  not 
be  much  thicker  than  hairs  to  be  able  to 
carry  it. 

The  uterus,  or  womb,  is  the  most  precious 


THE    OVARY  19 

organ  in  a  woman's  body.  It  is  situated  be- 
neath the  heart,  and,  nestling  among  the  in- 
testines, is  hidden  from  sight,  and  rendered 
safe  from  harm.  Here,  by  some  method 
which  man  is  powerless  to  fathom,  the  egg 
is  developed  into  the  baby  boy  or  girl. 


20  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 


THE  "FATHEK"  PKINCIPLE 

AFTER  reading  so  much  about  the 
"mother"  principle  in  plants  and  animals 
you  will  be  prepared  to  pass  on  to  the 
"father"  principle.  If  you  have  read  the 
book  for  "young  boys/'  you  are  already  fa- 
miliar with  this  part  of  our  subject,  but  for 
the  sake  of  those  who  have  not  I  will  briefly 
recapitulate  the  information  there  conveyed. 

In  plants  the  sex  part  is  provided  by  the 
flower.  In  many  flowers  the  male  and  female 
organs  are  in  the  same  blossom.  This  is  the 
case,  for  instance,  with  the  sweet-pea,  the 
hawthorn,  and  the  rose. 

It  you  look  at  a  hawthorn  blossom  care- 
fully you  will  notice  first  the  petals,  which, 
to  most  people,  form  the  flower.  At  the  bot- 


THE  "FATHER"  PRINCIPLE  21 

torn  of  the  flower  the  stalk  thickens  almost  to 
a  ball,  and  from  this  there  proceed  several 
fine  stems,  with  some  larger  stems  standing 
around  them. 

The  ball  part  is  the  ovary,  containing  the 
seeds;  the  middle  stems  are  the  mothers, 
called  pistils;  and  the  larger  stems  are  the 
fathers,  called  stamens.  The  duty  of  the 
last-mentioned  is  to  drop  some  of  the  dust 
on  their  anthers — as  the  top  knobs  are  called 
— through  the  pistils  to  the  ovary,  and  thus 
fertilize  the  seed. 

In  some  cases,  as  the  vegetable  marrow 
and  tomato,  the  male  principle  is  on  one 
blossom  and  the  female  on  another,  and  the 
pollen  is  then  applied  by  the  gardener,  who 
takes  a  male  blossom  and  plunges  it  into  the 
heart  of  the  female  blossom — the  one  behind 
which  the  marrow  is  growing — thus  ensuring 
the  lodgment  of  some  of  the  pollen  on  to  the 
pistil  that  is  ready  to  receive  it. 

Bees  are  also  great  helpers  in  the  fertiliza- 


22  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

tion  of  plants,  as  anyone  can  see  who  has 
watched  them  on  any  fine,  sunshiny  day,  flit- 
ting from  flower  to  flower. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  no  seed  is 
capable  of  .growing  into  a  plant  unless  the 
father  and  mother  principle  has  been  united 
in  its  composition. 

The  father,  or  male  principle,  of  course, 
is  the  pollen,  that  fine  golden  dust  that  you 
see  on  the  top  of  the  stamen  in  nearly  all 
the  flowers.  The  particles  of  this  dust  aie 
very  small,  but  are  not  too  small  to  have 
some  pronounced  qualities. 

Seen  under  a  microscope  they  look  some- 
thing like  irregular-shaped  peas.  They  are 
hollow,  and  filled  with  a  watery  fluid,  in 
which  are  a  lot  of  little  grains,  or  granules, 
as  the  scientist  calls  them.  The  shape  of  the 
pollen  dust  varies  in  different  plants,  but  all 
are  hollow  and  have  the  grains  as  described. 

All  plants  produce  seed,  and  some  of  them 
fruit.  Usually  where  there  is  fruit,  the 


THE       FATHER       PRINCIPLE 


23 


seed  is  inside — as  in  the  apple,  plum,  and 
cherry — but  in  the  case  of  the  strawberry 
the  seed  is  on  the  outside,  and,  technically 
speaking,  the  part  of  the  strawberry  that  is 
so  luscious  to  our  taste  is  not  fruit  at  all. 

The  white  part  of  the  seed,  apart  from  the 
germ,  is  composed  of  albumen,  and  it  is  this 
lhat  the  germ  feeds  on  while  it  is  developing 
the  stem,  leaves,  and  roots.  By  the  time  the 
albumen  is  exhausted  the  seed  has  developed 
sufficiently  to  do  without  it,  taking  its  nour- 
ishment through  the  roots  from  the  earth, 
and  through  its  leaves  from  the  air. 

There  is  another  point,  also,  to  notice  here, 
the  importance  of  which  will  be  seen  later  on. 
Not  only  do  the  seeds  and  fruit  nourish  the 
baby  plants,  but  they  contain  properties  to 
sustain  human  life,  and  so  people  eat  them 
freely  to  that  end. 

Roots,  stems,  and  leaves  are  all  eaten,  and 
all  help  to  sustain  life,  but  the  best  and  most 
valuable  part  of  any  plant  is  its  seed  or  fruit, 


FOR    YOUNG    MEN 


HUMAN  LIFE 

WE  have  now  learnt  something  about  the 
importance  of  seed  in  both  the  plant  and  the 
animal  economy  of  life.  You  all  know  that 
the  pollen  is  as  important  to  the  growth  of 
new  plant  life  as  the  seeds — that,  in  fact, 
the  seeds  are  not  able  to  grow  into  plants  un- 
less they  are  impregnated  with  the  pollen. 

Among  animals  the  same  principle  obtains, 
as  is  fully  explained  in  the  first  book  of  this 
series.  In  the  human  being  the  sexual  prin- 
ciple is  carried  to  its  highest  point,  for  it  is 
here  linked  with  intelligence  and  spiritual 
feeling,  and  is  not,  except  in  low  types  of 
human  life,  merely  an  accompaniment  of 
blind  animal  passion. 

The  sexual  organs  of  the  female  human 


HUMAN    LIFE  25 

being  (woman)  I  have  already  mentioned. 
In  these  organs  the  unfertilized  seed  grows 
and  ripens. 

In  the  sexual  organs  of  the  male  human 
being  (man)  the  male  principle,  correspond- 
ing to  the  pollen  on  blossoms,  is  manufac- 
tured. In  this  case,  however,  the  fertilizing 
element  is  not  a  dust,  but  a  rather  thick, 
yellow-white  liquid.  Strictly  speaking,  the 
life  principle,  comprised  of  very  tiny  germs, 
is  contained  in  this  liquid,  the  scientific  name 
of  which  is  semen,  which  comes  from  a  Latin 
word  meaning  seed. 

Although  boys  and  youths  have  the  organs 
for  producing  semen,  they  are  not  matured, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  at  this  early  age 
the  semen  is  not  wanted  for  reproductive 
purposes.  It  is  only  when  the  youth  has 
grown  into  a  man  that  his  sexual  organs  are 
in  a  fit  and  proper  state  to  produce  the  fer- 
tilizing liquid. 

To  put  this  thought  in  other  words,  the 


26  FOB    YOUNG    MEN 

aim  and  object  of  all  nature  is  (to  mature 
and  then)  to  produce  seed.  The  seed  of 
plants  and  flowers  is  not  produced  before 
maturity,  and  is  not  shed  until  ripe.  The 
same  effect  is  seen  in  young  men.  The  semen 
indicates  maturity.  The  production  of  seed 
can  be  prevented  by  picking  the  flowers,  but 
nature  will  pleasantly  fight  you  by  produc- 
ing more  flowers.  The  semen  is  useless  un- 
less retained  to  gather  force.  The  same  can 
be  done  by  young  men,  viz.,  prevent  the  seed 
forming  by  using  up  the  forces  in  mental  and 
physical  work — transmuting  the  life  into 
action. 

I  have  said  the  germs  that  are  contained 
in  the  semen  are  tiny.  They  are  about  seven 
hundred  to  an  inch,  so  that  you  see  the  basis 
of  human  life  in  the  sexual  organs  of  both 
the  male  and  the  female  is  one  of  the  small- 
est, as  well  as  one  of  the  most  important, 
substances  in  nature. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  now  to  state  that 


HUMAN    LIFE  27 

the  ova — the  woman's  seed — is  of  itself  in- 
sufficient to  develop  into  a  liviiig  child.  It 
must  be  fertilized,  or  impregnated  by  sperm 
—the  man's  seed — before  it  becomes  capable 
of  proper  development,  so  you  see  the  sperm 
that  will  by  and  by  be  manufactured  in  your 
organs  is  every  bit  as  necessary  as  the  ova 
for  the  production  of  new  life. 

The  reason  I  am  dwelling  so  strongly  on 
this  point  will  be  seen  later  on ;  at  present  I 
need  only  reiterate  that  as  the  seed  of  a  plant 
is  its  most  important  part,  so  your  seed  is 
the  most  important  part  of  you,  and  should 
be  taken  the  most  jealous  care  of. 

Remember,  it  is  only  strong,  virile  sperm 
that  is  of  any  use  in  this  respect,  that  is, 
sperm  from  a  strong,  healthy  man.  A  weak 
man  might  indeed  be  able  to  fertilize  the 
woman's  ova,  but  the  result  would  be  a  puny 
child. 

If  the  man's  sexual  organs  have  become 
diseased,  or  emaciated  from  any  reason,  he 


28  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

will  not  be  able  to  produce  any  sperm  at  all, 
and  although  he  may  secure  a  flow  of  semen, 
it  will  be  poor  in  quality,  and,  in  fact,  what 
we  call  barren. 

But  when  both  the  man  and  the  woman  are 
in  that  state  of  health  and  strength  that  na- 
ture has  intended  they  should  be,  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  this  respect.  The  tiny  ovum  is 
taken  from  the  ovary  by  the  finger-like  ex- 
tremities of  the  fallopian  tubes  and  carried 
to  a  spot  where  it  meets  the  semen,  that  has 
been  deposited  there  from  the  male  sexual 
organ,  and  one  of  the  germs,  or  sperm,  in 
the  semen,  by  some  wonderful  law  of  na- 
ture, penetrates  the  ovum,  and  thereby  fruc- 
tifies it.  It  is  then  taken  into  the  uterus,  or 
womb,  where  it  lives  for  nine  months,  gradu- 
ally assuming  the  form  of  a  human  being. 

At  first  the  unified  germ  lives  on  the  albu- 
men in  the  ovum  (just  as  the  plant  germ 
lives  on  the  albumen  in  the  seed),  and  when 
that  is  used  up  the  mother  provides  all  the 


HUMAN    LIFE  29 

nourishment  that  is  needed  from  her  own 
body. 

It  is  of  course  necessary  at  these  times 
that  the  mother  should  be  kept  from  worry, 
harm,  or  danger,  and  that  she  should  have 
proper  nourishment  if  she  is  to  produce  a 
healthy,  well-developed  child. 

At  the  proper  time  the  child  is  born,  that 
is,  it  leaves  its  home  in  the  uterus  and  cornea 
out  into  the  world,  where  it  immediately  be- 
gins to  breathe. 

This,  then,  is  the  history  of  the  origins  of 
life  on  the  earth,  both  with  regard  to  plants 
and  animals. 

It  is  a  story  that  every  boy  should  read 
and  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with,  for 
a  proper  knowledge  on  this  important  subject 
will  be  one  of  the  best  safeguards  against  any 
acts  that  would  tend  to  harm  or  destroy  his 
own  vital  organs. 

All  boys  are  potential  fathers,  but  to  be 
a  father — and,  indeed,  to  be  anything  else 


30  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

worth  being — the  sexual  organs  must  be  kept 
well  and  virile. 

In  the  following  pages  we  shall  go  a  little 
more  fully  into  the  physiology  of  man,  and 
need  only  say  here  that  with  regard  to  the 
organs  of  generation,  as  they  are  called,  any- 
thing that  tends  to  excite  them,  as  handling 
or  rubbing,  or  tickling,  or  even  bathing  them 
in  very  hot  water — except  on  rare  occasions 
when  for  medical  reasons  it  is  necessary- 
should  be  avoided. 

You  probably  know  what  I  mean  by  self- 
abuse.  This  is  improper  handling  of  the  out- 
side organ,  or  penis — to  give  it  its  scientific 
name — by  which  a  pleasurable  sensation  is 
produced,  together  with  an  ejection  of  semen. 

The  handling  of  the  penis  will  cause  it  to 
become  erect  and  grow  big,  blood  will  flow 
rapidly  into  it,  and  all  the  other  organs 
round  about  it  will  become  hot  and  feverish. 

When  the  excitement  is  over  the  parts  be- 
come limp  and  flaccid,  a  feeling  of  weariness 


HUMAN    LIFE  31 

comes  over  the  boy,  and  he  feels  that  he  has 
done  a  very  wrong  thing. 

If  the  practice  is  continued  the  boy  loses 
his  health  and  changes  his  character.  lie 
grows  dull,  sullen,  and  irritable,  suffers  from 
headache,  and  has  pains  in  other  parts  of 
his  body,  and  ultimately  becomes  a  wreck. 

As  you  value  your  health,  your  life,  and 
your  happiness,  then,  guard  these  organs  now 
in  your  youth,  so  that  they  will  serve  you 
properly  in  your  work  of  propagating  your 
species  when  you  become  a  man.* 

*When  you  are  troubled  with  vexatious  sensations 
in  the  generative  parts  you  should  fix  your  mind  on 
them  and  say  to  them,  "/  am  greater  than  any  parts 
of  my  body,  and  therefore  I  can  rule  them.  I  there- 
fore rule  you  and  command  you  to  get  into  a  peace- 
ful and  restful  condition."  A  short  practice  of  this 
exercise  will  have  a  soothing  and  elevating  effect. 


32  FOR  YOUNG  MEN 


CELLS,  TUBES,  SUBSTANCE 

THE  next  few  chapters  will  consist  of  a 
brief  and  concise  description  of  some  of  the 
more  important  parts  of  the  human  body. 
Long,  technical  words  will  be,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, avoided,  and  those  that  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  give  will  be  explained.  The  idea  is 
to  give  to  every  boy  who  reads  this  book  an 
outline  of  the  wonderful  structure  that  he 
calls  himself,  leaving  him  to  pursue  the  sub- 
ject at  greater  length  when  his  age  permits. 

First,  then,  the  human  body  is  built  on  a 
well-defined  plan.  It  consists  of  (1)  cells, 
(2)  tubes,  and  (3)  substance.  There  is  a 
fourth  element,  but  it  is  impalpable,  and  is 
called  by  various  names.  It  is  that  which 
keeps  the  organs  at  work,  helps  them  to  as- 


CELLS,  TUBES,  SUBSTANCE        33 

similate  food  and  perform  all  other  neces- 
sary functions.  It  springs  from  the  life  of 
the  individual,  and  manifests  or  shows  forth 
as  force. 

(1)  Cells  are  found  in  the  solid  parts  of 
the  body,  such  as  the  muscles,  fat,  cartilage, 
bones,  brains,  lungs,  skin,  etc.  All  the  vital 
organs  are  made  up  of  cells.  A  cell  is  a  tiny 
drop  of  matter  and  is  only  visible  with  the 
aid  of  a  microscope. 

I  have  told  you  how  many  ova  and  sperm 
go  to  the  inch ;  you  will  be  interested  to  learn 
that  it  takes  two  hundred  air  cells  of  the 
lungs  to  fill  this  small  space,  which  to  make 
an  inch  in  length  of  the  corpuscles,  or  blood 
cells,  no  less  than  3,500  would  be  wanted. 

The  number  of  cells  in  the  whole  body  are 
practically  uncountable.  They  are  well  com- 
pared with  the  sands  on  the  seashore,  "which 
cannot  be  numbered." 

The  individual  cell  is  composed  of  three 
parts,  viz.,  the  nucleus, which  forms  the  kernel 


34:  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

or  germ;  the  envelope,  a  thin,  transparent 
covering  (sometimes  lacking)  ;  and  the  proto- 
plasm, which  is  the  main  substance  of  the 
cell,  and  furnishes  the  necessary  nourishment. 

The  microscope  also  shows  that  the  cell 
lies  in  a  kind  of  fine  network,  called  the 
plexus  (meaning  a  net).  The  tubes  compos- 
ing the  net  serve,  some  as  capillaries  to  the 
veins  and  arteries,  and  others  as  absorbents 
and  nerves. 

(2)  The  more  important  tubes  or  pipes  of 
the  body  are  the  alimentary  canal,  the  arte- 
ries, veins,  and  perspiration  diicts.  The  ali- 
mentary canal  begins  at  the  mouth,  proceeds 
via  the  esophagus  to  the  stomach,  and  thence 
to  the  intestines  and  bowels.  It  is  twenty- 
five  feet  long,  and  is  lined  writh  a  membrane 
in  folds  that,  if  stretched  out,  would  reach 
just  twice  this  length. 

The  arteries  begin  at  the  heart,  like  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  and,  subdividing  into 
branches  and  twigs  (also  like  a  tree),  reach 


CELLS,    TUIIKS,    SUBSTANCE  35 

every  part  of  the  body.  They  end  in  minute 
capillaries. 

The  veins  begin  as  capillaries,  and,  gradu- 
ally running  into  one  another  (as  the 
branches  of  a  tree),  join  the  trunk,  and  end 
in  one  large  tube  at  the  heart.  So  a  proper 
and  entire  circulation  of  the  blood  is  ar- 
ranged. 

The  perspiration  ducts  are  placed  just  be- 
neath the  outer  skin,  and  if  all  of  them  were 
joined  end  to  end  would  reach  about  twenty- 
eight  miles  in  length. 

(3)  Substance  is  the  nourishment  taken 
into  the  body.  When  it  is  properly  assimi- 
lated it  feeds  every  particle  of  the  body. 

It  is  composed  of  food,  water,  and  air. 
Eood  furnishes  the  solids,  but  water  is  the 
principal  constituent  of  the  body,  forming 
seven-eighths  of  its  substance.  The  entire 
body  is  thus  made  up  of  (and  is  constantly 
being  remade  from)  things  that  we  eat, 
drink,  and  breathe.  It  is  a  marvellous 


36  FOE    YOUXG    MEN 

thought  that  all  our  bones,  muscles,  blood, 
and  vital  organs  are  simply  matter  changed 
from  one  form  to  another. 

How  is  this  change  brought  about  ?  By 
the  aid  of  yet  another  element  that  mani- 
fests in  the  body,  and  without  which  we 
should  be  cold,  inert,  and  dead.  I  mean  that 
wonderful,  indescribable  something  we  call 
life. 

Life  is  invisible,  yet  very  powerful,  and 
it  has  a  kind  of  machine,  or  tool,  that  it 
works  with,  which  is  also  invisible.  This 
machine  is  force.  Force  never  acts  of  itself, 
but  must  be  set  in  motion  by  a  power  able  to 
control  it.  This  power  is  Life,  which  mani- 
fests or  shows  forth  in  the  human  organiza- 
tion as  force.  Life  is  not  force,  it  simply 
directs  and  controls  it. 

Force  is  a  very  important  machine.  When 
directed  from  the  brain,  which  may  be  called 
the  chief  seat,  or  throne  of  life,  it  sends 
currents  all  along  the  nerves  to  every  part 


CELLS,  TUBES,  SUBSTANCE       37 

of  the  body.  Thus  we  are  able  to  move  our 
limbs,  to  walk,  run,  lie,  or  sit,  to  fling  our 
arms  about,  to  move  our  jaws  when  eating, 
and  our  tongue  when  speaking. 

Force  has  many  manifestations;  that  is, 
it  shows  itself  as  strength,  power,  vitality, 
life,  spirit,  and  energy. 

The  force  I  have  described — as  moving 
our  arms,  legs,  etc.,  is  called  "conscious" 
force.  There  is  also  an  "unconscious,"  or 
"vital"  force,  that  acts  independently  of  the 
brain,  although  not  independently  of  the 
will.  It  keeps  the  alimentary  canal  always 
on  the  move,  so  that  the  food  we  eat  is  con- 
tinually moving  along.  When  by  any  rea- 
son this  movement  is  insufficient  to  keep  the 
food  matter  in  motion,  a  block  occurs,  just 
as  a  block  will  sometimes  occur  in  a  crowded 
street  where  the  traffic  is  unusually  heavy. 

Then  there  is  trouble.  Great  pain  ensues, 
and  unless  the  obstruction  is  cleared  away, 
there  is  what  doctors  call  a  stoppage,  and 


38  FOK    YOUNG    MEN 

death  ensues.  Force  keeps  the  heart  a-beat- 
ing,  whether  we  are  asleep  or  awake,  and 
controls  the  action  of  the  lungs,  by  which 
fresh  air  is  continually  being  taken  into  the 
body  and  impure  air  expelled. 

Force  is  also  attractive.  It  draws  as  well 
as  pushes,  and  thus  it  keeps  all  the  atoms 
together.  When  the  life  departs  and  force 
is  no  longer  able  to  manifest,  the  body  soon 
crumbles  to  dust. 


CONCERNING    GLANDS  39 


GONCEBNIKG  GLANDS 

I  WANT  you  to  read  carefully  what  I  am 
saying  about  cells,  because  it  has  an  impor- 
tant bearing  upon  what  follows.  The  cell, 
which  you  now  understand,  is  found  in  every 
part  of  the  body,  is  the  centre  from  which 
force  acts.  Force  enables  the  protoplasm 
around  the  cell  to  take  up  the  necessary 
liquids  and  gases,  and  pass  them  to  the  con- 
tents inside.  It  also  reverses  this  operation, 
and  allows  the  used-up  material  to  pass  away. 
The  nourishment  is  taken  into  the  centre  of 
the  cell  by  the  plexus,  or  network  of  tubes. 
The  cell  never  takes  the  wrong  food,  but 
just  that  particular  kind  that  it  needs  to 
build  up  its  own  particular  portion  of  the 
frame. 


40  FOR    YOUXG    MEN 

Cells  are  constantly  growing,  dying,  and 
reforming.  At  the  moment  of  conception 
the  germ  of  the  ovum  (female  seed)  and  the 
sperm  of  the  semen  (male  seed)  unite  and 
form  a  cell.  Immediately  the  life  force  be- 
gins to  act;  the  nucleus  of  the  cell  divides 
into  two,  which  move  to  opposite  sides  of 
the  protoplasm,  which  in  its  turn  divides, 
thus  forming  two  complete  cells.  These  im- 
mediately divide  into  four,  and  the  four  into 
eight,  and  the  eight  into  sixteen,  and  so  on, 
and  this  enables  the  body  that  begins  to  be 
formed  to  grow  in  size. 

Babies  grow  into  children,  children  into 
youths  and  maidens,  and  these  again  into 
men  and  women,  all  by  the  multiplication  of 
cells.  In  the  human  body  they  number  un- 
told millions.  They  are  broken  up  and  de- 
stroyed by  millions  every  day,  and  millions 
of  others  are  daily  formed  to  take  their  place. 

Every  action  on  our  part  breaks  up  a  por- 
tion or  the  whole  of  many  cells,  and  these 


GLANDS  41 

have  to  be  removed  from  the  body  for  new 
ones  to  form. 

There  are  a  number  of  organs  of  various 
sizes  in  the  body  that  have  a  common  purpose. 
They  are  called  glands,  and  their  use  is  to 
manufacture  a  secretion  that  is  necessary 
for  building  up  or  purifying  the  body,  or  in 
some  other  way  aiding  the  work  of  keeping 
it  alive. 

The  larger  glands  are  the  liver,  pancreas, 
spleen,  and  kidneys,  but  there  are  many 
others,  too  numerous  to  mention  here. 

The  glands  are  composed  of  cells,  joined 
to  a  tube,  and  the  whole  is  enclosed  in  a 
strong  membrane.  The  cells  themselves  are 
in  all  stages  of  growth,  from  new  ones  just 
formed,  that  are  engaged  in  multiplying 
themselves,  to  old  worn-out  ones,  which  break 
up  and  are  lost. 

The  salivary  glands  are  six  in  number, 
three  on  each  side  of  the  mouth.  When  you 
begin  to  eat,  the  ripe  cells  in  these  glands 


42  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

burst  their  walls,  and  the  liquid  contained 
in  them  flows  down  the  tube,  or  duct,  into 
your  mouth  in  the  form  of  saliva;  this  is 
the  first  part  of  the  process  of  digestion. 

The  lachrymal  glands  lie  just  above  the 
outer  angle  of  the  eyes.  Their  business  is 
to  secrete  a  salty  liquid,  which  cleanses  the 
eyes  and  passes  through  a  tube  into  the  nose. 
The  liquid  we  call  tears.  It  is  constantly 
being  produced,  and  serves  to  keep  the  organ 
of  sight  moist.  In  fact,  the  tears  lubricate 
the  eyeball  as  oil  lubricates  the  axles  of  a 
machine. 

The  liver  gland  is  a  much  more  complex 
organ  than  the  two  I  have  described.  It  may 
be  imagined  as  a  large  number  of  glands 
joined  together,  called  lobules,  which  are  laid 
side  by  side  in  rows,  so  as  to  form  five  divi- 
sions called  lobes.  The  liver  secretes  a  bitter 
liquid  called  bile.  This  bile  is  stored  in  a 
small  receptacle  called  the  gall  bladder. 

The  mammary  glands  are  situated  in  the 


CONCERNING    GLANDS  43 

breasts.  They  secrete  a  milk,  like  goat's  or 
cow's  milk.  This  secretion  only  occurs  in 
the  mother's  breast  when  it  is  needed  to  nour- 
ish her  new-born  babe. 

The  gastric  glands,  which  are  very  nu- 
merous, line  the  inner  coating  of  the  stomach. 
They  produce  a  liquid  called  gastric  juice. 
This  is  the  next  digesting  medium,  after  the 
saliva  has  operated  on  the  food.  It  is  in- 
tensely sour  and  contains,  among  other  prop- 
erties, hydrochloric  acid  and  pepsin.  The 
secretion  is  formed  in  the  cells  of  the  gland, 
and  when  food  is  taken  into  the  stomach  the 
walls  of  that  organ  immediately  begin  to 
stretch  and  contract,  so  that  the  cells  are 
crushed  and  the  contents  poured  out. 

There  are  other  glands  yet  to  be  described, 
but  these  are  some  of  the  principal  ones,  and 
I  have  drawn  special  attention  to  them  be- 
cause of  their  work  in  keeping  the  body  alive 
and  healthy  by  means  of  the  liquids  that  they 
manufacture. 


44  FOR   YOUNG   MEN 

These  glands,  as  well  as  most  of  the  others, 
are  subject  to  abuse.  If  they  are  allowed  to 
act  in  a  proper  and  normal  manner,  the  body 
is  kept  in  good  repair,  and  is  what  we  call 
"well."  If  they  get  out  of  order — and  they 
may  easily  do  so — then  the  body  is  "ill,"  and 
if  the  cause  of  the  illness  is  not  stopped  it 
will  develop  in  a  most  serious  manner. 

For  instance,  take  the  salivary  glands. 
Their  work,  as  I  have  said,  is  to  secrete  saliva 
while  eating,  so  as  to  aid  the  digestive  process. 
But  the  cells  may  be  broken  and  the  saliva 
discharged  by  another  means  altogether. 
This  is  by  the  power  of  thought. 

You  have  often  heard  the  phrase,  "It 
makes  my  mouth  water."  This  is  a  literal 
statement,  and  means  that  the  thought  of 
eating  something  tasty  breaks  up  the  cells 
and  fills  the  mouth  with  their  juice.  Now, 
if  a  boy  or  young  man  is  constantly  thinking 
of  and  longing  for  some  luxury  or  other  in 
the  way  of  food,  his  saliva  glands  will  be 


CONCERNING   GLANDS  45 

continually  at  work,  breaking  up  cells  and 
discharging  the  saliva,  and  his  mouth  will 
be  constantly  full  of  water. 

But  note  the  effect.  When  all  the  ripe 
cells  are  gone,  those  that  are  not  ripe  will 
be  broken,  and  if  the  fretting  and  pining  is 
continued,  the  gland  itself  will  be  worn  out 
and  destroyed,  and  no  more  saliva  will  come, 
even  when  food  is  taken.  And,  remember, 
to  swallow  dry  food  is  impossible.  When, 
therefore,  you  find  your  mouth  "watering/7 
immediately  stop  the  thought  that  causes  it, 
and  the  saliva  will  be  saved  for  the  time  you 
need  it. 

With  regard  to  the  lachrymal  glands,  these 
are  also  subject  to  abuse.  In  the  ordinary 
way  the  secretion  lubricates  the  eyeball.  But 
if,  through  strong  emotion,  there  is  much 
crying,  the  result  upon  these  glands  will  be 
exactly  the  same  as  the  result  of  pining  after 
luxuries  on  the  salivary  glands.  First  the 
ripe  cells,  then  the  unripe  ones,  will  break, 


46  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

and  their  contents  flow  into  the  eyes.  Ulti- 
mately the  glands  are  destroyed,  and  the  eye, 
getting  no  lubrication,  becomes  hot  and  fever- 
ish, and  is  attacked  with  inflammation.  This 
sometimes  ends  in  blindness. 

Here,  again,  we  see  that  thought  influ- 
ences the  secretion,  and  to  avoid  any  evil 
consequences  in  this  respect  you  must  exer- 
cise control  over  your  feelings.  If  you  have 
troubles  that  bring  tears,  forget  them,  and 
the  best  way  to  do  this  is  by  changing  the  cur- 
rent of  your  thought.  Never  continue  weep- 
ing. Resolutely  think  of  something  else,  and 
the  effort  at  self-control  will  benefit  you  in 
more  ways  than  one. 

You  will  now  be  prepared  to  believe  that 
thought  influences  the  mass  of  glands  called 
the  liver.  Of  course,  wrong  food  affects  this 
organ,  and  you  must  be  careful  not  to  eat 
that  which  gives  you  trouble  here.  But  this 
is  a  part  of  the  subject  that  every  intelligent 
boy  can  familiarize  himself  with.  If  he  finds 


CONCERNING    GLANDS  47 

that  certain  foods,  such  as  white  bread,  bis- 
cuits, puddings,  pies,  etc.,  give  his  liver 
trouble,  by  making  him  constipated,  or  if 
he  finds  that  certain  other  foods  give  him 
diarrhoea,  his  common  sense  will  tell  him 
either  to  avoid  these  foods  altogether,  or  to 
be  careful  of  the  quantity  he  takes.  But 
the  average  youth  does  not  know  that  his  liver 
may  be  affected  by  his  thoughts  to  a  very 
material  extent. 

If  you  are  angry,  have  bitter  thoughts 
against  anyone,  become  miserable  or  bad- 
tempsred,  the  secretions  in  the  gall  bladder 
will  be  poisoned,  and  you  will  be  ill.  Good 
thoughts,  such  as  love,  joy,  and  a  feeling  of 
happiness  and  contentment,  will  enable  your 
liver  to  retain  its  normal  character,  its  secre- 
tions will  be  healthy,  and  you  will  be  well. 

Just  the  same  may  be  said  with  regard  to 
the  mammary  glands,  but  as  they  refer  to 
women,  I  need  only  mention  the  fact.  I 
may,  however,  give  you  a  warning.  Xever 


48  FOR    YOTT3TG    MEN 

annoy  or  anger  a  woman,  or  do  anything  to 
distress  a  mother,  because,  if  yon  do,  the 
mother's  milk  becomes  poisoned  by  her  anger, 
and  her  baby  will  suffer  and  perhaps  die. 

The  gastric  glands  are  also  quickly  affected 
by  the  emotions,  bad  news  taking  away  one's 
appetite,  and  sometimes  causing  sickness. 

I  think  I  have  said  enough  now  to  show 
you  the  importance  of  the  cells  and  the 
glands  (that  are  made  up  of  cells)  to  the 
human  body,  and  the  necessity  of  keeping 
them  in  good  order  if  you  would  retain  your 
health  and  strength.  And  I  think  I  have 
shown  you  plainly  how  very  necessary  it  is 
that  you  should  control  your  thoughts.  If 
you  permit  evil  thoughts  to  pass  through 
your  brain,  the  injury  to  your  system  will 
be  very  great ;  but  if  your  thoughts  are  good, 
they  will  be  reflected  in  all  your  organs  in 
no  uncertain  manner.  This  is  one  of  the 
laws  of  Nature  to  which  there  is  absolutely 
no  exception. 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  .49 


THE  GENEEATIVE  SYSTEM 

As  this  is  a  book  of  not  so  much  general 
as  special  physiology,  we  will  pass  on  at  once 
to  the  sexual  parts.  These  are,  it  need  scarce- 
ly be  said,  some  of  the  most  important  organs 
in  the  body.  The  digestive  system  must,  of 
course,  take  first  place  in  importance,  as  life 
itself  depends  on  the  proper  carrying  out  of 
the  work  of  assimilating  the  food  taken  into 
the  body.  But  the  generative  organs  surely 
come  next,  because,  not  only  does  the  general 
health  and  strength  of  the  body  depend  on 
the  condition  of  these  organs,  but  also  the 
power  of  reproduction.  If  a  man's  sexual 
parts  are  badly  injured  or  diseased,  or  de- 
stroyed, all  hopes  of  his  ever  becoming  a 
father  are  gone  forever.  Nothing  stronger 


50  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

could  be  said  in  favour  of  our  keeping  these 
parts  of  our  physical  organization  in  as 
sound  a  state  as  possible. 

Let  us  consider,  in  the  first  place,  what 
these  organs  are.  Eirst  we  have  the  testes 
(or  testicles,  as  they  are  called),  from  the 
Greek  testa,  a  crucible  in  which  precious 
metals  were  melted  so  as  to  test  their  purity. 
They  are  contained  in  a  sac,  or  bag,  called 
the  scrotum.  If  you  are  in  health  the  scrotum 
will  be  taut  and  firm ;  but  if  you  are  unwell 
it  will  probably  hang  limp  and  loose. 

The  testes  lie  side  by  side  in  the  sac,  with 
a  division  wall  between  them.  Behind  each 
is  a  narrow  flat  body,  called  the  epididymis, 
and  two  spermatic  cords,  one  for  each  testicle, 
pass  upward  into  the  body. 

The  testes  are  glands,  and  you  know  some- 
thing of  their  nature  already  if  you  have 
carefully  read  the  last  chapter.  In  a  full- 
grown  man  the  testes  contain  some  four  hun- 
dred lobules  each.  Inside  the  lobules  are  the 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  51 

seminal  tubes,  laid  in  a  coil.  The  walls  of 
the  tubes  are  lined  with  cells,  which  are  full 
of  force  and  life,  and  are  able  to  take  in  and 
give  out  substance. 

The  substance  they  take  in  is  the  food, 
which  is  used  to  manufacture  the  secretion 
peculiar  to  them.  The  tubes  are  the  ducts 
or  canals  by  which  the  secretion  of  the  cells 
is  taken  away  from  the  testes.  They  turn 
and  twist  about  in  a  marvellous  manner,  and 
would  be  of  a  tremendous  length  if  they  were 
unravelled.  The  epididymis,  already  men- 
tioned, is  a  continuation  of  the  seminal  tubes, 
and  leads  to  the  vas  aberrans  (deviating), 
and  thence  to  the  vas  deferens  (to  bear 
away),  this  last-named  being  the  part  of  the 
duct  that  conveys  the  secretion  out  of  the 
scrotum. 

The  spermatic  cord  is  composed  of  the  vas 
deferens,  with  arteries,  veins,  nerves,  lym- 
phatics, etc. 

[The  lymphatics,  it  may  be  remarked,  are 


52  FOR    YOU^G    MEX 

certain  organs,  situated  in  nearly  all  parts 
of  the  body,  whose  duty  is  to  take  up  (absorb) 
certain  waste  matter  that  is  formed  by  the 
wear  and  tear  of  the  body,  and  transform  it 
into  good  nourishing  material.  This  avoids 
the  necessity  of  expelling  all  these  used-up 
particles  from  the  system.] 

When  the  spermatic  cord  enters  the  pelvis 
it  ends  its  course  by  opening  into  the  uretha 
(the  tube  leading  from  the  bladder  to  the 
penis). 

You  thus  see  that  within  the  scrotum  and 
the  pelvis  (the  bony  cavity  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  trunk)  there  are  miles  on  miles  of 
tiny  tubes,  perfect  cells,  as  already  described, 
lymphatics  (absorbents),  nerves  connecting 
directly  with  the  brain,  arteries  to  bring  rich 
blood  in,  and  veins  to  take  the  used-up  blood 
away. 

You  will  now  easily  understand  that  the 
secretion  from  the  glands  we  call  the  testicles 
is  of  a  highly  organized  character.  It  has 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  53 

been  called  the  essence  of  the  blood,  and  is 
the  finest  matter  produced  by  any  organ  in 
the  body. 

The  name  of  this  secretion  is  sperm,  other- 
wise called  seminal  fluid,  or  semen.  All 
these  mean  seed,  so  that  the  sperm  really 
contains  the  seed  of  humanity,  without  which 
human  propagation  is  impossible. 

During  your  boyhood  days,  that  is  up  to 
the  age  of  twelve  or  so,  not  a  drop  of  this 
secretion  passed  through  the  entire  sper- 
matic cord  into  the  uretha.  Before  it  reached 
the  end  of  the  tube  it  was  all  absorbed  by  the 
lymphatics  and  used  up  again  in  the  blood 
to  nourish  muscles,  bones,  brain,  and  sinews. 
You  see,  during  this  early  period  of  your  life 
you  were  growing  fast,  and  it  was  necessary 
that  your  body  should  have  the  best,  richest, 
and  most  refined  kind  of  nourishment  that  it 
could  possibly  get,  and  as  this,  in  a  liquid 
form,  was  continually  being  manufactured 
by  the  testes,  it  was  (not  being  wanted  for 


54  FOB   YOUNG    MEN 

any  other  purpose)  taken  up  as  fast  as  it 
was  made,  and  distributed  over  the  system, 

Now  you "  see  what  harm  masturbation 
would  have  done  you  had  you  given  way  to 
this  form  of  vice  in  your  earlier  days.  The 
finest,  best,  and  most  nourishing  material 
that  you  could  possibly  have  would  have  been 
roughly  expelled  from  the  system,  and  bones, 
muscles,  brain,  and  blood  would  have  been 
impoverished  thereby.  In  fact,  it  is  the 
semen,  when  it  is  allowed  in  Nature's  way 
to  become  absorbed  into  the  system,  that 
makes  a  boy  a  strong,  healthy  man,  instead  of 
a  puny,  weak  one,  this  last-mentioned  being 
the  fate  of  the  boy  who  by  self -pollution  lit- 
erally sends  the  essence  of  his  manhood  away. 

The  sperm,  or  semen,  is  not  of  itself  re- 
productive, that  is,  it  could  not  fertilize  the 
female  ovum,  but  it  contains  the  life-giving 
germs  in  the  form  of  spermatozoa.  These 
germs  are  not  found  in  the  semen  of  boys,  so 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  55 

that  very  young  people  cannot  become 
parents. 

But  at  puberty,  or  manhood,  the  sperma- 
tozoa begin  to  appear,  and  this  period  may 
be  reached  any  time  between  the  ages  of 
fourteen  and  eighteen.  In  warm  countries 
boys  mature  much  earlier  than  in  cold,  but 
the  longer  it  takes  a  lad  to  mature,  the  longer 
and  stronger  will  his  future  life  tend  to  be- 
come. 

Let  us  suppose  for  a  moment  that  you 
have  reached  this  age.  You  find  that  your 
chest  is  widening  and  your  shoulders  are 
getting  broader.  Your  voice  "breaks";  you 
can  neither  talk  nicely  nor  sing ;  but  by  and 
by  it  settles  down  into  a  firm  strong  tone,  and 
becomes  "manly." 

At  this  point,  too,  your  brain  grows  more 
active.  You  can  do  much  more  thinking,  and 
can  attain  to  a  far  greater  intellectual  height 
than  was  possible  at  an  earlier  age.  You  are 


56  FOK    YOUIs'G    MEN 

stronger,  in  fact,  mentally  and  physically, 
can  endure  more  fatigue  and  do  more  work. 
All  this  is  accomplished  with  the  aid  of 
the  semen,  if  it  is  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
body  and  not  be  wasted.  Nature  never  wastes 
anything,  and  so  this  secretion,  as  soon  as  it 
is  manufactured  in  the  testes,  is  taken  up 
and  reabsorbed,  and  being  such  splendid 
nourishing  material,  mind,  body,  and  soul  are 
benefited  by  it  to  an  almost  incalculable  de- 
gree. 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM!  57 


THE  GENERATIVE  SYSTEM 

(Continued) 

WE  may  now  take  a  further  view  of  the 
sexual  organs,  and  describe  in  as  succinct 
a  way  as  possible  without  illustrations,  their 
various  parts  and  special  duties. 

The  testes  have  already  been  described. 
Above  the  scrotum  is  the  penis,  the  only  por- 
tion of  the  sexual  apparatus  that  is  outside 
the  body.  The  penis  is  composed  of  erectile 
tissue,  that  is,  it  is  made  up  of  a  quantity 
of  fibres,  arranged  something  like  an  ordi- 
nary sponge.  There  are  three  compartments, 
the  lower  one,  called  the  corpus  spongiosum 
(spongy  body),  and  the  two  upper  ones  cor- 
pora cavernosa  (cavernous  bodies),  meaning 
that  these  parts  are  full  of  little  cavities. 
They  are  lined  with  an  immense  number  of 


58  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

veins,  arteries,  nerves,  and  lymphatics.  It 
is  noteworthy  that  in  the  penis  there  are  a 
greater  proportionate  number  of  veins  than 
anywhere  else  in  the  body,  and  that  this  organ 
is  capable  of  carrying  a  large  amount  of 
blood. 

When,  through  sexual  excitement,  or  from 
some  other  cause,  blood  begins  to  pour  into 
the  penis,  it  immediately  fills  all  the  veins 
and  arteries,  and  as  the  whole  of  this  organ 
is  elastic,  it  expands,  and  continues  to  expand 
until  it  can  grow  no  larger.  At  this  point 
an  erection  is  said  to  have  taken  place. 

This  state  of  erection,  however,  never  lasts 
long.  Soon  the  tissues  contract,  and,  squeez- 
ing the  veins,  press  the  blood  back  again  into 
the  body,  and  the  penis  falls  again  into  its 
normal  limp  condition.  The  entire  move- 
ment is  under  the  control  of  the  nerves. 

At  the  end  of  the  penis  there  is  a  smooth 
part  called  the  glans,  and  surrounding  this 
is  some  loose  skin  called  the  foreskin.  This 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  59 

completely  covers  the  glands  in  childhood, 
but  may  be  pushed  back  before  puberty. 

]N~ear  the  lower  side  of  the  penis  is  the 
urethra,  which  is  a  tube  leading  from  the 
bladder  to  the  outlet.  The  principal  use  of 
the  urethra  is  to  convey  the  urine  or  waste 
water  from  the  bladder. 

As  the  youth  grows  older  and  stronger  the 
erectile  tissue  of  the  penis  shows  increased 
power,  and  the  secretion  from  the  testes  im- 
proves in  both  volume  and  quality.  This  is 
because  it  does  not  get  absorbed  into  the  sys- 
tem so  rapidly  as  when  he  was  younger,  and 
the  cells  have  time  to  ripen  before  they  are 
broken  up  and  their  contents  discharged. 

Until  the  youth  is  about  twenty-five  years 
of  age  he  will  continue  to  use  up  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  secretion  in  the  various  processes 
of  the  body,  but  at  that  age  he  has  become  a 
man,  and  the  semen  henceforth,  if  it  is  left 
alone,  becomes  incorporated  in  his  beard, 
brain,  chest,  etc. 


60  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

It  is  very  important  to  remember  that  the 
intimacy  between  the  penis  and  the  testes 
is  very  great,  the  nerves,  which  are  close  to 
the  skin  in  the  former,  going  direct  in  great 
numbers  to  the  latter.  Any  irritation  there- 
fore given  to  one  is  immediately  felt  by  the 
other. 

Plainly  put,  if  the  penis  is  excited,  either 
by  thoughts  of  a  sexual  character  or  by 
handling  or  toying,  the  testes  immediately 
become  aware  of  it,  and  the  cells,  or  at  least 
those  that  are  ripest,  begin  to  break  and  dis- 
charge their  contents. 

These  two  organs  being  so  closely  con- 
nected, it  will  be  readily  understood  that 
when  one  becomes  diseased  the  other  follows ; 
when  one  is  in  pain  the  other  suffers;  when 
one  is  at  rest  and  in  a  state  of  ease  and  quiet 
the  other  is  necessarily  the  same. 

But,  more  important  still,  both  are  in  in- 
timate relation  with  the  brain  by  means  of 
the  nerves  going  up  the  back.  As  the  brain 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  61 

is  the  seat  of  thought  and  the  force  that 
the  light  puts  in  motion,  the  sexual  organs 
may  be  said  to  be  almost  a  part  of  the  brain. 
Here,  again,  we  see  action  and  reaction. 
Whatever  affects  the  brain,  or  that  part  of  it 
that  is  more  directly  connected  with  these 
organs,  affects  them,  too,  and  their  state  of 
health  or  disease  is  instantly  and  inevitably 
reflected  in  the  brain. 

Returning  to  a  consideration  of  the  testes 
and  their  secretion,  the  question  arises  as  to 
its  disposal.  I  have  already  explained  what 
happens  if  Mature  is  allowed  to  pursue  her 
own  course.  When  this  is  done  the  young 
man  benefits  by  the  nourishment  afforded 
him  in  those  parts  of  his  system  that  at  this 
time  more  particularly  need  nourishment. 

But  there  is  another  method  of  dealing 
with  the  secretion,  and  that  is  by  forcing  it 
along  the  spermatic  cord  into  the  urethra, 
from  whence  it  is  expelled  through  the  mouth 
of  the  penis. 


62  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

The  chief  method  by  which  this  is  accom- 
plished by  boys  is  by  masturbation,  or  tick- 
ling by  the  hand.  I  have  already  said  that 
the  penis,  especially  the  glands,  is  the  most 
sensitive  organ  in  the  body.  This  is  because 
of  its  thin  skin  and  abundance  of  nerves. 

An  erection  may  come  at  any  time,  on 
awaking  in  the  morning,  or  through  a  mo- 
mentary thought,  or  from  no  apparent  cause. 
It  is  just  here  that  danger  arises.  There  is 
the  beginning  of  a  pleasant  sensation,  and 
the  boy  is  tempted  to  prolong  it.  The  ex- 
citement and  feeling  becomes  increasingly 
intense,  until  what  is  called  a  nervous  spasm 
intervenes. 

This  is  first  felt  in  the  nerves,  then  it 
reaches  the  erectile  tissue,  and  goes  to  all 
the  nerves  in  the  testes,  and  into  the  sur- 
rounding parts.  There  is  at  this  point  a 
great  deal  of  movement  among  all  the  fibres 
and  sinews  in  the  various  organs  concerned, 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  63 

and  the  riper  cells  in  the  testicles  are  broken 
with  great  force  and  rapidity. 

The  semen,  thus  liberated,  cannot  be  ab- 
sorbed by  the  lymphatics,  and  so  falls  into 
the  duct,  and  is  ejected,  as  already  narrated, 
through  the  urethra. 

The  spasm  passes,  the  acute  feeling  of 
pleasure  is  past,  the  secretion  is  wasted,  the 
nerves  relax,  and  a  natural  reaction  takes 
place,  during  which  the  boy  has  time  to  medi- 
tate on  the  folly  of  the  entire  proceedings. 

He  will,  indeed,  if  he  continues  this  un- 
natural performance,  pay  dear  for  the  mo- 
mentary feeling  of  enjoyment.  In  the  first 
place  he  may  bring  about  a  fever  in  these 
parts  that  he  has  so  wrongly  and  forcibly 
excited.  There  is  always  a  little  fever  on 
such  occasions,  and  if  the  act  is  repeated — 
as  it  often  is,  at  short  intervals — the  fever 
becomes  inflammation,  and  stricture  of  the 
urethra  occurs. 


64  FOR   YOtTNG 

This  means  that  the  canal  or  tube  through 
which  the  urine  is  passed  becomes  inflamed 
and  swollen,  and  the  sides  close  up,  so  that 
neither  semen  nor  urine  can  pass  through  it, 
but  will  be  absorbed  into  the  body,  and,  by 
poisoning  the  blood,  bring  sickness  with  much 
pain  and  suffering.  Worse  than  this,  if  the 
semen  that  was  discharged  from  the  cells 
could  not  pass  away,  but  collected  in  greater 
quantities  than  the  lymphatics  could  take  up, 
it  would  putrefy,  and  cause  an  abscess  to 
form.  It  might  even  cause  gangrene  and 
mortification,  and  then  the  doctor's  knife 
and  the  hospital  operation,  which  would 
leave  the  miserable  patient  without  his  testi- 
cles, and  perhaps  without  his  penis. 

If  masturbation  has  become  a  frequent 
practice  it  ultimately  destroys  the  glands 
(testes).  If  it  does  not  absolutely  destroy 
them  it  robs  them  of  their  power,  and  the 
youth  becomes  impotent;  that  is,  he  is  in  as 


THE   GENERATIVE    SYSTEM 

bad  a  condition  as  a  man  who  has  been 
castrated. 

The  scrotum  hangs  long,  limp,  and  heavy. 
The  feeling  is  one  of  dragging  down,  and  is 
accompanied  by  physical  weakness  and  in- 
tense mental  depression. 

But  even  this  is  not  all.  It  may  happen 
that,  if  the  boy  has  a  sound  constitution  to 
start  with,  he  may  not  feel  any  immediate 
mischief.  His  organs  will  mature  quickly 
by  the  practice,  and  become  as  large  as  they 
would  have  grown  later  on  had  he  left  them 
alone. 

In  this  case  the  sexual  organs  gain  a  pre- 
mature maturity  at  the  expense  of  the  rest 
of  the  body,  and  if  there  is  any  weakness, 
either  in  the  lungs,  heart,  or  stomach,  the 
weak  organ  will  suffer  to  the  same  extent  as 
the  sexual  system  is  (apparently)  benefited. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  strength  of  a  chain 
lies  in  its  weakest  link,  and  when  in  a  boy 


6C  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

anything  breaks  down  it  is  usually  the  weak- 
est part. 

Thus,  a  youth  who,  through  any  unnatural 
desire  for  pleasure,  or  in  order  to  premature- 
ly develop  his  sexual  nature,  indulges  in  this 
evil  practice,  loses  his  health,  strength,  pow- 
ers, both  mental  and  physical,  and  becomes  a 
wreck. 

He  will  flush  to  the  roots  of  his  hair  at 
the  slightest  provocation,  his  muscles  will  be 
flabby  instead  of  firm,  his  eyes  dull  and  lus- 
treless instead  of  bright;  he  will  look  old, 
haggard,  and  worn  out, 

His  brain  will  fail,  his  memory  depart; 
all  interest  in  life  will  pass;  he  will  be  in- 
capable of  study  or  healthy  games ;  and  will, 
in  short,  lose  all  power  for  enjoyment.  He 
will  have  thrown  away  his  hopes  of  happi- 
ness, and  all  to  indulge  a  craving  that  is  as 
foolish  and  harmful  as  it  is  wicked  and  de- 
grading. His  end  will  probably  be,  first  the 
lunatic  asylum,  and  then  the  grave. 


THE    GENERATIVE    SYSTEM  67 

There  is  an  old,  blunt  proverb  that  is  often 
used  in  many  connections,  and  that  is  quite 
appropriate  here.  Most  boys  will  recognize 
it.  It  is,  "the  game  is  not  worth  the  candle." 


68  FOE    YOUXG    MEN 


"EVEKY  INCH  A  MAN" 

I  DON'T  know  at  the  moment  of  writing 
where  the  phrase  heading  this  chapter  came 
from,  but  I  have  no  doubt  most  boys  have 
seen  it  somewhere  or  other,  and  have  hoped 
that  it  might  apply  to  them. 

The  next  few  pages  will  tell  you  how  this 
desire  can  be  fulfilled.  This  is  the  best  am- 
bition a  youth  can  possibly  have,  that  he  may 
become  a  real  man — God's  man,  as  someone 
beautifully  put  it;  in  other  words,  a  being 
who  can  reasonably  claim  to  be  a  son  of 
God. 

Let  me  give  you  this  as  an  axiom  to  start 
with.  Your  conduct  will  decide.  There  is 
no  alternative  method  of  becoming  a  real 
man,  and  there  is  no  short  cut  to  manhood. 


EVERY    INCH    A    MAN  '  69 

There  is,  indeed,  a  "royal  road,"  but  it  is 
not  a  short  road,  and  you  cannot  profitably 
hasten  along  it.  In  nature's  time  your  boy- 
hood developed  into  youth-hood,  and  this  in 
clue  time  will  merge  into  manhood;  but  it 
will  depend  on  yourself  alone  what  sort  of 
a  man  you  will  be. 

This  is,  of  course,  subject  to  the  provision 
that  you  began  life  fairly.  If  you  were  born 
weak  and  sickly,  or  deformed,  or  with  any 
other  disability,  your  manhood  may  show  the 
results  of  such  defects,  but  it  is  nevertheless 
true  that  in  hundreds  and  thousands  of  cases 
weakly  children  have  developed  into  strong 
and  healthy  men  and  women. 

If  you  read  biographies  of  great  men,  or 
the  short  descriptions  of  their  lives  that  ap- 
pear in  newspapers,  you  will  sometimes  come 
across  a  sentence  that  tells  you  the  subject 
of  the  biography  was  a  weakly  child,  who 
grew  ultimately  into  a  man  or  woman,  strong, 
healthy,  and  with  mental  and  physical  pow- 


70  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

ers  that  amazed  those  who  knew  them  in  their 
youth. 

What  was  the  reason  ?  They  conserved 
their  forces.  They  did  not  dissipate  their 
strength.  The  late  Cecil  Rhodes  is  a  case  in 
point.  In  his  boyhood  days  he  was  so  weakly 
that  nobody  thought  he  would  live.  Yet  he 
became  a  man,  and  did  a  work  that  made 
him  the  cynosure  of  the  whole  world. 

Many  other  instances  could  be  given  to 
prove  the  necessity  of  conserving  one's  forces 
while  the  body  is  youthful,  but,  indeed,  they 
are  not  needed,  for  the  truth  is  self-evident. 

In  the  commercial  world  the  most  success- 
ful man  is  he  who  concentrates  his  mind  on 
the  particular  business  in  hand  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  else,  while,  vice  versa,  the  fail- 
ure is  generally  the  man  who  disperses  his 
forces  and  his  energy,  and,  being  engaged  in 
a  number  of  operations,  succeeds  in  none. 

An  athlete,  before  he  enters  the  lists  in 
any  competition,  gathers  all  his  forces  to- 


EVERY  INCH  A  MAN" 


gether,  so  as  to  be  able  to  direct  them  all  at 
once  to  the  object  in  view. 

So  the  youth,  if  he  is  to  become  a  real  man, 
with  "a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body,"  to 
quote  an  old  adage,  must  not  dissipate  his 
life  forces,  but  save  them  in  the  strictest 
sense  of  the  word,  until  they  have  done  their 
work  in  building  up  his  bones,  sinews,  brain, 
and  nerves,  and  so  fitting  him  for  the  posi- 
tion he  will  henceforth  fill  as  one  of  the 
world's  workers. 

It  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon 
the  youth  who  is  just  verging  into  manhood 
that  purity  in  thought,  word,  and  deed  is 
absolutely  essential  to  his  progress,  both  ma- 
terially and  mentally. 

There  is  nothing  so  damaging  to  the  sys- 
tem as  impure  thoughts.  It  is  natural  for 
boys,  when  they  are  growing  into  manhood, 
to1  think  a  good  deal  about  sexual  matters. 
Their  physical  feelings  and  sensations  will 
lead  their  thoughts  that  way.  The  compan- 


72  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

ionship  of  girls  of  their  own  age  may  excite 
them  still  further,  although  to  a  pure-minded 
youth  the  presence  of  a  good,  modest  girl  can 
bring  nothing  but  good. 

But  ttie  ordinary  youth — and  this  book  is 
written  for  such — has  no  pretensions  to 
purity  of  thought,  and  it  is  just  here  that 
the  danger  lies.  I  have  already  described 
the  pernicious  effects  of  bad  thoughts  on  the 
glands  of  the  eyes,  mouth,  stomach,  and  liver. 
On  the  testes  the  results  of  impure  thought 
are  no  less  marked. 

The  youth  may  not  be  particularly  impure 
in  his  thoughts,  neither  is  he  fastidious.  In 
these  circumstances  his  thoughts  are  very  apt 
to  run  away  with  him,  and  he  may  often 
spend  many  minutes  in  thinking  of  impure 
subjects  without  realizing  what  he  is  doing. 
If,  when  he  comes  to  a  knowledge  of  what 
he  is  thinking  of,  he  changes  the  current  of 
his  thoughts,  no  harm  is  done ;  but  if  he  con- 
tinues in  the  same  train  of  thought,  the  testi- 


EVERY  IXCH  A  MAS 

cle  glands  will  operate,  and  secretion  will  be 
lost. 

While  there  is  nothing  wrong  in  thinking 
about  sexual  matters,  provided  that  the  rea- 
son for  such  thoughts  is  good,  as  in  studying 
physiology,  or  in  reading  such  a  book  as  this, 
there  is  everything  wrong  in  allowing  the 
mind  to  idly  dwell  on  such  things. 

Apart  from  the  reasons  mentioned,  there 
is  no  necessity  for  a  boy  to  think  about  either 
his  own  sexual  organs  or  those  of  the  opposite 
sex. 

Ignorance  of  his  own  physiology,  and  of 
the  functions  of  the  various  organs  in  his 
body,  together  with  a  natural  curiosity  with 
regard  to  certain  physiological  phenomena, 
has  led  many  a  youth  into  errors  of  thought 
that  have  had  disastrous  results,  but  after  a 
perusal  of  the  preceding  pages  no  boy  will 
be  able  to  say  that  he  did  not  know,  and 
therefore  sinned  in  ignorance. 

Surely  there  are  plenty  of  things  to  think 


FOR    YOTJXG    :\IEA~ 

about  besides  sexual  matters,  and  there  is  no 
youth  on  this  earth  who,  when  his  thoughts 
begin  to  drift  in  this  direction,  could  not  at 
once,  and  with  the  slightest  effort  of  will, 
turn  them  upon  his  sports,  his  cricket,  foot- 
ball, etc.,  or  on  some  work  he  is  engaged 
upon,  or  some  new  game,  or  a  new  book  he 
is  reading,  or  on  his  studies. 

If  he  must  think  on  the  subject  of  woman, 
then  let  him  think  of  some  high-minded, 
pure-souled  woman  of  his  acquaintance,  or 
that  he  has  read  or  heard  about,  and  he  will 
probably  find  that  the  thought  of  her  virtues, 
her  work,  her  philanthropy,  or  her  writings, 
has  driven  all  foolish  thoughts  of  sex  out  of 
his  head. 

Sometimes,  when  boys  are  alone,  a  passage 
in  a  book,  or  a  suggestive  picture,  will  set 
them  thinking  about  sex  matters,  or  perhaps 
the  thought  will  come  without  any  apparent 
cause.  It  is,  in  a  sense,  a  pleasurable  emo- 


"EVEKY  INCH  A  MAN""  75 

tion,  and  the  desire  to  prolong  the  feeling 
will  be  very  strong. 

This  is  called  "wallowing  in  the  mire," 
and  the  mental  calibre  will  be  as  much  af- 
fected by  it  as  the  clothes  would  if  the  boy 
rolled  in  the  mud. 

Let  me  again  say,  then,  change  the  current 
of  your  thoughts ;  get  up,  walk  about,  read  a 
book,  do  anything,  in  short,  that  will  take 
your  mind  from  the  subject  that  is  enslaving 
you;  and  remember  that  the  first  time  you 
conquer  such  a  temptation  you  gain  moral 
strength  to  resist  future  temptations  of  the 
same  kind.  Above  all,  continue  repeating, 
"I  am  stronger  than  this  feeling,  and  I  can 
and  will  conquer,  and  be  pure."  This  is  not 
a  religious  book  in  the  ordinary  meaning  of 
the  term;  it  is  simply  a  work  of  physiology, 
written  from  a  purely  health  point  of  view, 
but  I  would  like  to  point  out  that  true  re- 
ligion consists,  not  in  the  acceptance  of  a  • 


76  FOR  YotrxG 

creed  or  a  set  of  formulas,  but  in  the  living 
of  a  godly  (good)  life ;  and  if  a  young  man 
wishes  his  life  to  be  in  the  best  sense  a  good 
one,  he  must  begin  by  controlling  his 
thoughts.* 

The  ordinary  youth  may  at  this  point  feel 
inclined  to  ask  how  this  is  possible.  He  says, 
and  with  some  reason,  My  thoughts  come  and 
go  without  my  appearing  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  them.  How,  then,  can  I  control 
them  ? 

To  a  beginner  in  the  art  of  self-control  it 
is  not  easy.  But  it  is  to  be  done,  and,  as  I 
have  already  remarked,  a  victory  gained 

*When  it  is  found  that  nature  is  maturing  seed, 
which  is  sensed  by  an  erection,  you  should  join  your 
mind  with  the  force  you  feel  and  expect  that  the 
force  and  seed  will  be  absorbed  by  the  nerves  and 
brain  and  be  productive  of  strength  for  your  use  in 
whatever  direction  you  wish  to  use  it — study,  manual 
work,  etc.  Thus  you  will  be  transmuting  what 
would  be  an  enemy  and  destroyer  into  a  friend  and 
upbuilder.  It  can  also  be  considered  that  the  erec- 
tion is  a  result  of  power  being  created  to  supply  any 
demand  of  the  system. 


IXCH  A  MAX 

means  so  much  more  strength  for  the  next 
tussle. 

It  is  true  that  if  you  allow  your  mind  to 
become  vacant,  or  do  not  voluntarily  think 
of  something,  thoughts  will  pass  through  your 
head,  going — as  we  say  with  regard  to  a  boy 
who  does  not  pay  attention  to  what  is  said  to 
him — in  at  one  ear  and  out  of  the  other. 

But  if  you  are  thinking,  say,  of  the  won- 
ders of  our  solar  system,  and  watch  with  your 
mind's  eye  the  great  sun,  and  all  the  planets 
rolling  onward,  each  in  its  orbit,  making,  in 
various  times,  a  complete  circuit  of  the  glori- 
ous orb  that  gives  them  light  and  life,  form- 
ing the  various  seasons,  spring,  summer, 
autumn,  and  winter,  and  all  this  going  on 
daily  and  nightly  in  regular  order,  without 
mistake  or  any  danger  of  mistake — why, 
where  are  your  sexual  thoughts  ? 

Do  you  not  see,  you  cannot  think  of.  two 
things  at  once?  And  if  you  make  up  your 
mind  to  concentrate  your  thinking  powers  on 


78  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

any  given  subject,  you  can  keep  all  thoughts 
of  other  things  away. 

Young  men  naturally  find  their  thoughts 
at  times  taking  the  shape  of  a  kind  of  longing 
for  sexual  intercourse.  If  they  dwell  on  this 
thing,  their  nerve  force  will  be  dispersed, 
and  they  will  be  weakened  in  both  body  and 
mind. 

Many  cases  have  come  under  the  notice 
of  medical  men  where  this  result  has  been 
apparent  to  them,  although  to  the  patient  no 
idea  of  the  real  state  of  things  had  occurred. 

If  you  would  be  a  man,  then,  avoid  lascivi- 
ous thoughts.  There  are  sexual  duties,  as 
well  as  pleasures,  and  at  the  proper  time  you 
will  become  familiar  with  both,  but,  for  the 
sake  of  your  future  happiness,  do  not  antici- 
pate either. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  think  out  schemes  for 
succeeding  in  life,  and  how  you  can  get  on 
in  anything  you  may  take  up.  At  such  times 
make  up  your  mind  that  you  will  succeed  in 


"EVERY  INCH  A  MAN"  79 

all  you  undertake,  as  you  will  find  the  con- 
dition of  mind  you  adopt  at  such  periods  will 
become  very  strong.  You  are  thereby  con- 
verting the  sex  force  into  a  mind  force  and 
storing  up  energy  for  the  present  and  the 
future. 

I  have  left  small  space  for  the  second  and 
third  essentials  to  health,  viz.,  purity  of  word 
and  deed.  Yet  these  are  important  enough 
to  receive  every  consideration.  Of  course, 
thoughts  come  first,  for  a  word  is  only  the 
expression  of  a  thought;  but  if  you  should 
think  of  an  impure  story,  and  be  on  the  point 
of  repeating  it,  refrain.  You  may  cause  a 
laugh,  but  the  moral  tone  of  yourself  and 
of  those  who  hear  the  story  will  be  apprecia- 
bly lowered.  If  a  low  ribald  phrase  rises  to 
your  lips,  check  it  ere  it  passes  into  speech, 
for  a  word  once  spoken  can  never  be  recalled. 
Let  your  language  be  pure,  noble  in  idea  and 
in  phrase,  and  you  may  depend  upon  it  that 
it  will  be  reflected  in  your  body  and  soul. 


80  FOR    YOU^G    MEN 

Then  let  all  jour  actions  be  pure.  At  the 
age  of  puberty  the  temptations  to  immorality 
are  many  and  great.  If  you  live  in  a  large 
town  or  city  you  will  be  brought  in  contact 
with  the  "painted  woman"  pretty  frequently. 
Avoid  her  as  you  would  the  plague.  Poor 
thing,  she  is  a  product  of  our  debased  civili- 
zation, and  no  means  has  yet  been  found  for 
suppressing  her.  By  and  by  this  scourge  of 
the  streets  will  disappear,  but  while  she  is 
in  evidence  she  must  be  met  and  withstood. 
I  repeat,  then,  avoid  her,  or  you  will  suffer. 

At  any  rate,  you  who  read  these  lines  can- 
not say  you  indulge  in  immorality  of  this 
kind  without  warning.  If  you  cultivate  the 
impure  companionship  of  such  women  as 
these,  pain  and  suffering  of  the  most  intense 
and  demoralizing  character  will  be  laid  up 
for  you. 

Do  not  read  this  lightly  or  laughingly; 
there  is  a  real  danger,  as  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  men,  with  their  bodies  racked  with 


"EVERY  INCH  A  MAN"  81 

pain  and  other  consciences  pricking  them 
like  darts,  can  testify. 

^sTever  do  a  single  act  without  asking  your- 
self whether  it  is  right.  I  do  not  wish  you 
to  do,  or  not  do,  a  deed  merely  with  regard 
to  the  consequences,  but  it  is  an  infallible 
rule  that  the  deeds  that  are  wrong  bring  suf- 
fering in  their  train,  while  the  good  and 
noble  deeds  bring  joy. 

If  in  doubt,  ask  yourself,  Could  I  ask  my 
parents'  approval  to  this?  Is  it  gentleman- 
ly ?  Is  it  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  ?  Does 
it  savour  of  God-likeness  ? 


82  FOE    YOUNG    MEN 


CONCLUSION 

I  HAVE  now  led  you,  dear  reader — for  I 
wish  to  address  you  in  these  last  words  in  a 
personal  manner — from  a  consideration  of 
the  beginnings  of  life  along  the  pathway  of 
human  experience,  showing  you  many  won- 
derful things  by  the  way,  and  imparting  just 
that  kind  of  knowledge  abotit  yourself  that 
was  likely  to  do  you  most  good ;  and  now,  as 
you  stand  at  the  beginning  of  your  manhood, 
I  bid  you  a  temporary  farewell. 

I  say  "temporary,"  because  this  book  will 
be  followed  by  another,  which  will  be  written 
especially  for  the  man  who  is  contemplating 
entering  upon  the  sacred  duties  of  matri- 
mony. 

Until  you  reach  this  period  of  your  life 


CONCLUSION  83 

the  advice  given  in  the  preceding  pages  must 
be  followed  resolutely  if  you  wish  to  become 
a  happy  husband  and  father. 

If  you  have  read  the  first  book  of  this 
series — and  if  you  have  not  you  cannot  do 
better  than  get  it — you  will  remember  that 
I  spoke  very  clearly  and  strongly  on  the  sub- 
jects of  heredity  and  transmission.  What 
applied  to  your  boyhood  days  applies  with 
tenfold  force  to  you  now,  and  if  for  no  other 
reasons  than  those  given,  you  cannot,  if  you 
have  the  tiniest  spark  of  manhood  within 
you,  disregard  the  statements  made. 

Let  me  repeat  them.  What  your  parents 
were,  you,  broadly  speaking,  are  to-day,  and 
what  you  are  to-day  your  children  will  be 
to-morrow.  This  looks  at  first  sight  as  if 
the  results  of  a  man's  actions  are  apparent 
in  his  grandchildren,  and  in  a  sense  this  is 
true. 

But  now  you  are  a  man,  with  free  will 
you  can  to  some  extent  free  yourself  from 


84  FOR    YOUNG    MEN 

purely  hereditary  impulses,  and  to  the  ex- 
tent you  are  successful  in  this  will  your  chil- 
dren benefit. 

I  have  written  a  good  deal  about  conse- 
quences, because  to  most  young  men  cause 
and  effect  are  better  understood  than  the 
deeper  ethical  principles.  But  it  is  possible 
to  get  on  to  a  higher  plane  of  thought  than 
this.  The  man  who  decides  not  to  do  a 
wrong  act  for  fear  of  consequences  is  wise 
and  prudent,  but  he  who  does  right  because 
it  is  right,  and  declines  to  do  wrong  because 
it  is  wrong,  has  advanced  to  a  point  in 
spirituality  that  the  first  man  has  yet  to 
reach. 

And  if  you  are  in  doubt  whether  a  con- 
templated action  is  right  or  wrong,  you  have 
a  conscience.  You  may  trust  that  warning 
voice.  It  has  never  led  anyone  astray  yet, 
and  it  never  will.  Your  conscience  is  that 
part  of  you  which  is  the  emanation  from 


CONCLUSION  85 

Deity — it  is  the  witness  of  the  truth,  that  we 
are  never  without. 

One  word  as  to  your  treatment  of  the  other 
sex.  Never  be  rude  to  a  girl.  Xever  say  a 
word  that  would  bring  a  blush  to  the  cheek 
of  the  maiden  that  is  for  the  time  in  your 
company.  And  never,  under  any  circum- 
stances, take  what  is  called  a  aliberty"  with 
any  girl. 

Girls  are,  not  without  reason,  called  the 
weaker  sex,  and  their  confiding  nature  lays 
them  open  to  many  insidious  attacks  by  un- 
scrupulous men.  You  may  find  yourself  on 
occasion  in  a  position  when  you  may  easily 
take  advantage  of  a  girl's  trustfulness. 

Here  the  law  of  consequences  comes  in 
again,  and  I  might  confine  myself  to  the  re- 
mark that  the  man  who  betrays  a  girl's  trust 
is  the  greater  sufferer  in  the  end.  But  I  will 
place  it  at  once  on  a  higher  plane  of  thought. 
Is  it  right  or  wrong?  Your  conscience  will 
tell  you  plainly  enough. 


86  FOR    YOUXG    MEN 

I  would  even  take  you  higher  still.  What 
should  be  your  guiding  principle  through 
life  ?  Surely  the  highest  guiding  principle 
a  man  can  have  is  Love. 

If  you  love  your  fellows,  men  and  women 
alike,  you  would  never  do  aught  that  would 
harm  them  or  give  them  pain.  And  a  man 
who  loves  a  woman,  whether  as  lover,  brother, 
or  merely  as  a  friend,  will  never  betray  the 
trust  that  his  love  has  attracted.  For  love 
attracts  love,  just  as  truly  as  magnetized  iron 
attracts  steel,  and  to  betray  one  who  trusts 
you  is  the  basest  act  you  can  commit. 

Be  chivalrous,  then,  to  girls  and  women, 
be  kind  and  loving  to  all,  conserve  your  own 
strength,  and  do  not  dissipate  any  of  the 
forces  that  Nature  has  endowed  you  with: 
so  shall  you  prolong  your  life,  fulfil  your 
destiny,  and  bring  honour  to  yourself  and 
happiness  to  all  with  whom  you  are  in  any 
way  connected. 


A    Guide    to    Girlhood, 
Motherhood  and  Infancy 

By  Dr.  H.  LANG  GORDON 


Size,  6  x  8%;  278  pages;  fully  illustrated.        Price,  $2.00 


THIS  work  marks  in  its  Own  line  the  opening  of  a  new 
epoch.  Hitherto  such  works  have  been  devoted  to 
treatment  and  a  study  of  the  abnormal;  here  these 
subjects  yield  precedence  to  prevention  and  a  common-sense 
exposition  of  the  normal.  The  author,  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  modern  preventive  medicine,  points  out  the  errors 
and  abuses  of  modern  life  (so  easily  avoided  and  yet  so 
easily  yielded  to)  which  affect  injuriously  the  health  of 
women  and  children.  At  the  same  time  he  clearly  assists 
the  mother  and  others  to  understand  the  physiology  of 
womanhood  and  motherhood,  the  care  of  the  infant  and 
young  girl,  and  the  detection  and  treatment  of  common 
complaints.  The  subjects  of  heredity,  environment,  educa- 
tion and  schools,  the  home-training  of  children,  the  physical 
development  of  the  body  and  the  position  of  woman  in 
modern  life,  are  among  the  topics  of  the  day  which  are 
touched  upon  in  a  new  light  in  this  concisely  written  book. 
Each  of  its  three  sections,  Girlhood,  Mother  hood  and  Infancy, 
provides  the  mother,  the  schoolmistress,  and  the  intelligent 
nurse  with  a  fascinating  and  easily  understood  guide  and 
high  ideals. 


R.  F.   FENNO    &    COMPANY 

18  East  17th  Street        ....        NEW  YORK 


Books  by 
FLOYD  B.  WILSON 

Paths  to   Power 

1 4th  Ed.  izmo.  Cloth.  $1.00 

Man  Limitless 

jd  Ed.      izmo.     Cloth.     Gilt  Top.     $1.25 

Thro'  Silence  to 
Realization 

3d  Ed.  izmo.  Cloth.  $1.00 

The  Discovery  of  the  Soul 

urao.  Cloth.  $1.00 


BOOKS  BY 
HENRY    FRANK 


The  Mastery  of  Mind 

12mo,  cloth,  250  pages       .       $1.00 

The  Kingdom  of  Love 

12mo,  cloth,  245  pages       .       $1.00 

The  Shrine  of  Silence 

12mo,  cloth,  275  pages       .       $1.09 

The  Triumph  of  Truth 

or 
The  Doom  of  Dogma 

12mo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  400  pages,  $1.50 


I2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.25 


Man  Limitless 

By  FLOYD  B.  WILSON 


AUTHOR    OF 
"PATHS    TO    POWER,"    &C.,    &C. 


CONTENTS 

Man,  Limitless 
Love 

The  Christ  Principle  Through  Intuition 
Work 

Control  of  Memory- 
Suggestion 

Must  Age  Enfeeble  ? 
Pathway  to  Achievement 
Children  of  the  Gods 
Shakespeare's  Ariel 
Spirit  Aid  in  Man's  Unfoldment 


9 


PATHS 


TO 


POWER 


By  FLOYD  B.  WILSON 


CONTENTS 

One's  Atmosphere 
Growth 

A  Psychic  Law  in  Student  Work 
Unfoldment 

Power :  How  to  Attain  It 
Harmony 

The  Assertion  of  the  I 

The  Tree  of  Knowledge— of  Good  and  Evil 
Conditions 
Faith 

Back  of  Vibrations 
Wasted  Energy 
Something  About  Genius 

Shakespeare  :  How  He  Told  Hi8>  Secret  in  the 
"  Dream  "  and  the  "  Tempe»t " 


1  2  mo.  Cloth,  $  1  .00    Fifteenth  Edition 


R.   F.   FENNO  &   COMPANY 

1  8  East  Seventeenth  St.      New  York 


* 
* 
* 
* 


Fate   Mastered 
Destiny  Fulfilled 

By.  W.  J.   COLV1LLE 


CONTENTS 

Fate  Mastered— Destiny  Fulfilled 
Interior  Force — Its  Practical  Evolution 
Thought  as  a  Shie  d—The  Human  Aura 


KANDSOMELY  bound  in  White  Cloth, 
and  Stamped  in  Three  Colors   of   Ink. 
Twelve-mo  fj  Fifty-two  Pages  fl   Thirty  cents, 
Postpaid.  000000 


The  Mastery  of  Mind 

, By    HENRY    FRANK 

The  Record  Herald  (Chicago}  :  "Dr.  Henry  Frank  is  a 
charming  pilot  through  the  mazes  of  the  so  called  'New 
Thought'  and  the  mysteries  of  the  New  Psychology.  His 
'Mastery  of  Mind'  is  a  kind  of  hand  book  of  that  misty 
mid-region  where  science  melts  into  religion  It  discusses 
many  subjects  in  a  captivating  manner  and  with  many  a 
happy  epigram." 

The  Nashville  American  :  "An  ethereal  idealism  blows 
through  the  pages  of  this  volume,  'The  Mastery  of  Mind,' 
all  tlie  more  delightful  for  that  it  is  shown  to  be  immedi- 
ately practical  and  usable." 

The  Universalist  Leader :  "One  of  its  merits  is  that  the 
author  uses  the  ordinary  words  of  plain  human  speech  all 
the  way  through.  It  is  the  work  of  the  interpreter  who  has 

studied  all  the  authorities  carefully There  are 

single  chapters  in  the  work  which  are  worth  the  price  of  it 
to  those  who  understand.  Mr.  Frank  writes  his  gospel  of 
mind  mastery  optimistically.  It  is  a  good  gospel.  His 
book  is  a  good  introduction  to  the  more  elaborate  work* 
of  the  specialists." 

The  Brooklyn  Eagle  :  "  In  his  latest  work.  'The  Mastery 
of  Mind,' Henry  Frank  ....  shows  the  close  relation 
of  the  mind  to  the  physical  body,  and  gives  practical  illus- 
trations as  to  how  the  newly  discovered  laws  of  psychic 
force,  working  often  sub-consciously , can  be  an  aid  to  man's 
moral  and  physical  uplift." 

The  Chicago  Daily  Tribune :  "Mr.  Frank  is  a  graceful 
writer,  with  a  faculty  of  culling  facts  of  scientific  informa- 
tion and  presenting  them  in  a  way  that  appeals  to  the 
popular  fancy.  In  addition  to  this  he  deals  with  just  enough 
of  occult  and  the  as  yet  unexplained  psychic  phenomena, 
to  give  his  words  a  charm  for  the  devotees  of  the  New 
Thought." 

The  Arkansas  Democrat :  "The  general  reader  as  well 
as  the  student  will  find  in  this  volume  of  Dr.  Frank's  an 
exposition  of  a  new  psychology  that  will  at  once  entertain 
and  instruct.  The  author  is  a  no.ed  lecturer  on  ethical 
subjects  and  speaks  therefore  with  the  authority  of  one 
who  has  studied  the  subject  thoroughly  and  analytically. 
.  .  .  .  It  is  written  with  literary  finesse  that  will  appeal 
to  all,  and  the  most  abstruse  themes  ....  are  made 
a  matter  of  compelling  interest." 

Transcrtpt  (Boston)  :  "Mr  Frank  is  at  his  best  in  this 
new  volume,  which  is  redolent  of  advanced  science  and  the 
New  Psychology,  beautiful  in  style  and  uplifting  in  n^ral 

sentiment In  this  age  of  mental  quackery  it  is 

refreshing  to  find  subjects  of  this  character  treated  so 
rationally." 

The  Washington  (D.  C  )  Times:  "A  masterly  and  prac- 
tical outline  of  the  entire  field  ot  psychology." 

12mo.  cloth,  250  pa^s,  $1.00 


R.    F.    FEN  NO    &    COMPANY 
18  EAST  l/iii  STREET,      -      -     NEW  YORK, 


BOOKS  BY 

JAMES    ALLEN 


As  a  Man  Thinketh 
Out  from  the  Heart 
The  Heavenly  Life 
Entering  the  Kingdom 
The  Way  of  Peace 
The  Path  of  Prosperity 


Sent  postpaid  upon  receipt  of  pric* 

Paper  Covers  .        .        .        .  15c.  per  copy 

Cloth  Binding  ....  50c.  per  copy 

Watered  Silk  ....  75c.  per  copy 

Leather     .  .       .       .        .  75c.  per  copy 


R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 

18  EAST  SEVENTEENTH  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


MAftl 


17Nov'52BG 


304007 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


